My Computer

[pizza]

I'm gonna buy a new computer, HP Pavilion a1009.fi, 667.90 €
Do you think it's worth of buying?

[Sokko]

HP Pavilion a1009 Specifications (http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ie/en/ho/WF06b/35123-35527-39847-39847-39847-12149600-40479255.html)

Looks okay for basic computing, but nothing too strenuous. The included 256MB of RAM is pretty pathetic for anything but the essentials, since Windows XP takes up almost all of that just to stay alive. Fortunately RAM sticks are a dime a dozen these days, so buying a couple 512's shouldn't be out of the question. Hard drive space is rather small at 80GB, but it should be a while before you fill that up. Integrated video means no 3D gaming at playable framerates (especially not with that RAM), but at least there's a free AGP slot for you to install a real graphics card. Bonus points for the DVD writer, but that's gradually becoming a standard anyway.

If I knew the Euro conversion rate, I'd be able to tell you whether it's a good deal for the money. However, you might want to check other stores in your area for better prices, since the MSRP is €540 according to HP's website.

[Dave Hettel]

i have the a730n; i can't tell if it's available in europe or not, though.

it has an intel pentium four processor, at about 3 Ghz, with a nice 800mhz side bus; it's pretty good, although an amd would be better. it has two 256 MB sticks, for a total of 512 MB of ram; again, pretty good, but a little more could be better. it also has an amazing 200 GB hard drive; definitely enough to store many of the newest games. it has DVD-ROM/CD-ROM drives so there should be no problem with not being able to run games from disc's; the DVD speeds are kind of slow, especially compared to the CD's. the intel chipset included is riddled with errors; if you were to get this, get another video card. sound is pretty good; i recommend altec lansing or harmon/kardon speakers; if the soundsticks available at the apple store (http://apple.com/store/) (perform a search for soundsticks) work with windows, get them. it also has tons and tons of ports. i believe 7 or 8 USB ports. it also is bundled with a lot of software. it's not bad for gaming overall, but replace the integrated video card with something from ati.

product specifications from hp (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=c00233082)